ACA Update: Comment on Proposed Streamlined Application

ACA Update: Comment on Proposed Streamlined Application

HHS is requesting public comments on a single streamlined application being proposed for use in applying for individual and small business health insurance on Exchanges, beginning in the Fall of 2013.

The draft application is being proposed for use in federal Exchanges (which will operate in states not setting up their own Exchanges) and as a possible model for single applications being developed by states operating their own Exchanges. The use of a single application reflects the Affordable Care Act's "no wrong door" approach for consumers to use in assessing and selecting individual and small group coverage in the Exchanges (now called the Health Insurance Marketplace).

Comments are being sought on both the online and paper versions, accessible from the below links. Paper versions are posted in PDF format for download. Online applications are presented in videos (around 12-17 minutes in length), providing a sense of how consumers might interact with the online application process, which entails going through a sequence of screens with questions.

According to HHS, "the individual application is a single point of entry to purchase private insurance on the Marketplace and assess eligibility for assistance including Medicaid, CHIP, and the Advanced Payment of Tax Credits."

See HealthCare.gov to learn more about the new Health Insurance Marketplace.